Short Answer Questions

1. What word is used to describe the act of raising someone from a grave?

2. What city is mentioned in the story?

3. How old is the object of the boy's affection?

4. "The Parrot Who Met Papa" is about an ordinary parrot named ________.

5. What is the name of the woman in "The Illustrated Woman?"

Short Essay Questions

1. What unusual fact about a victim is discovered by the ambulance drivers in "Long After Midnight?"

2. What is the irony involved in "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed?"

3. In "The Day It Rained Forever" three friends complain at the severe heat while waiting for a specific event to occur. What is the event? When is it due to occur?

4. Describe the plot used in "Fever Dream."

5. Why is Joseph resentful toward Marie in "Interval in Sunlight?"

6. What is the purpose of the exhumations in "The Tombling Day?" What happens to one of the bodies?

7. How does the wife attempt to help her husband in "The Women?"

8. Discuss the life span of the characters in "Frost and Fire" and why it is unusual.

9. In "The Terrible Conflagration up at the Place" a group of people decide to burn the lord's home as a sign of political protest. Why is the plan to burn the lord's home discarded?

10. What is the plan put into motion by Doug in "The Utterly Perfect Murder?" What is the outcome?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Some characters that stand out in relation to unsatisfactory relationships are Mrs. Braling in "Marionettes, Inc.;" Genevieve in "The Silent Towns;" The Wilders in "The October Game;" and George and Katherine in "Punishment Without Crime." Choose two of the stories and compare and contrast the stories, the relationships and the characters involved.

Essay Topic 2

Bradbury is famous for the Ray Bradbury Theater in which his works were adapted for television, plays, and movies. Choose your favorite story from the book and turn it into a script for a play, television show or movie. Modernize the story as you go along.

Essay Topic 3

Bradbury uses several characters in more than one story. For example, Uncle Einar appears in two stories, as does Ceci/Cecy. Why does Bradbury do it? Do the repeated references help with the characterization? Do you think Bradbury simply ran out of ideas for characters? Do you like repetitive characters in the stories? Choose one of the characters and write a second short story based on the previous tale.